


Ghost

by SomethingAboutAMagpie



Series: A/B/O in Space [2]
Category: Power Rangers in Space
Genre: Alpha Zhane, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alpha/Omega, Anal Sex, Frozen Zhane, M/M, Masturbation, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Omega Andros, Porn with Feelings, Pre-Series, Sex Toys, psychic link
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-28
Updated: 2018-06-28
Packaged: 2019-05-29 19:41:01
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,619
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15080303
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SomethingAboutAMagpie/pseuds/SomethingAboutAMagpie
Summary: His first heat after the battle on KO-35 was the worst he’d ever experienced. Andros has never gone through a heat without his alpha, but with Zhane in hypersleep, he doesn't have many options.





	Ghost

**Author's Note:**

> Well, I guess this is my life now, writing Alpha/Omega smut about these two. I couldn't help myself and I had to do another one. I...didn't actually intend for smut to happen and then, well, you'll see.

His first heat after the battle on KO-35 was the worst he’d ever experienced.

Andros had never had to go through a heat alone after he’d been mated, and going into heat without his alpha was _torture_.

It was even worse knowing that there was a possibility that Zhane may never wake up again.

Hs mating bite ached behind his ear, and slick was already beginning to seep from him as he sat at the command station on the bridge. He, for a moment, allowed himself to fantasize about Zhane’s nose pressing into his scent gland. For a moment, let himself pretend he could hear his alpha’s voice whispering to him. _“Hey, baby, just about time to breed you again, huh?”_

Andros closed his eyes, brought a hand up to rub at them until he saw stars and the pressure managed to convince him not to tear up. He could practically feel Zhane’s palm, hot, on his lower back. _“Come on, Andros. You’re in no state to be working. Let me take care of you.”_

“You’re not really here,” Andros found himself whispering to the quiet room. “You’re not. You’re...you’re not.” He didn’t mean to speak out loud, he really didn’t, but...he couldn’t help himself. He’d turned off DECA’s voice days ago. He’d listened to nothing but his own thoughts since then. And it was starting to kill him inside.

_“Let me take you to the bunk, you’re going into heat, baby. You need me.”_

Andros shook his head and began to type into his console again. “You’re not here, though, Zhane. You’re...you’re sleeping. Frozen.” It was like he was trying to remind himself, speaking aloud to cover the sound of his mate’s voice in his head. “And...I don’t know...if it’s helping you.”

He thought about the cryogenic chamber, the tube that was sealed off behind a locked door. He hadn’t been able to bring himself to enter that room since he’d closed Zhane into it. It was painful to think about his mate, so injured that the only possibility of his survival lied in hypersleep, in hopes that he could heal.

_“Then come to me. Let me help you. You shouldn’t go through your heat alone, you know that. You’re mated, baby, your body expects_ something _and you need to give it that.”_

“And what could I give it?” Andros muttered, glancing up at the screen to his right and crossing his legs. He dutifully ignored the wet slide of slick between his cheeks, the way it made his uniform pants damp. “You aren’t here.”

_“I'm just a few rooms away.”_

“How does that help me?” Andros had stopped worrying about responding aloud. The only one listening to him now was DECA, and it wasn't like she was going to judge him. She was just a computer, after all, and, so what if he began to talk to himself? It had been two weeks of solitude so far. Two long weeks of being alone. He couldn't live in silence.

He glanced down at his morpher and heaved a small sigh. Two weeks since he'd abandoned the only home he'd ever known. The home he’d sworn to protect. Hand picked by Zordon to watch over KO-35, and he’d failed. He couldn't protect his people and he surely hadn't protected Zhane.

What would his family say to him now? First, Karone, and now? Now he was truly alone. Andros shook himself from his thoughts. There was no time for this, no time to let himself fall into self-pity. If Zhane were here…

_“If I were there, I'd already be taking care of your heat. Can't you smell yourself, Andros? You smell so good. I wish I were next to you right now…”_

“I wish you were, too,” Andros allowed himself to say. He raised a hand to his mating bite, pressing his palm flat over the teeth marks. “I wish it could be the same as it's always been…” He found his chest aching, his body temperature climbing with no relief in sight. “Why did you have to save me?”

_“That's what a good alpha does, Andros. They protect their mates.”_

“But what if I didn't want your protection?” Andros began to stand, unable to focus any longer on where to steer the ship. He typed a command into the console for DECA to take over autopilot. “I just wanted you at my side.”

_“Then come be at my side. I want you near me.”_

It was like his legs were moving of their own accord, leading him through the Megaship to the secret chamber. Andros keyed in the code and sighed as the door whooshed open. Frigid air hit him like a ton of bricks, but he stepped inside the room anyway. The cold was almost soothing to his hot skin. He was hyper aware, now, of how far along his heat had progressed in just the few moments on the bridge. Hard and fast, as always.

It broke something inside of Andros when he found that he couldn't smell Zhane in the room, that raw, musky, purely _alpha_ scent he exuded when his rut approached. The smell he could always pick up at the start of his heat.

He approached the cryo chamber and set one hand on the frosted glass. Zhane hadn't even de-morphed after the blow. Wiping away some of the icy surface, only his mate's helmet greeted him. Andros longed to see Zhane’s handsome face, the cut of his jaw, the cleft in his chin, his expressively bright eyes. But all he had was this, the love of his life, frozen, in his Ranger armor.

Sighing, Andros sunk to the floor and rested his forehead against the platform that supported Zhane's body. He ignored the ache of the cold floor on his knees, the way his slick, usually warm, grew cool with the air in the room. Even without Zhane's scent, his omega instincts told him that his mate was here, so close, and he couldn't convince himself to leave the room. "I failed you," he murmured to the glass. "I should have been stronger."

_"You're the strongest omega I know,"_ Zhane's voice was in his head again. Andros began to wonder if it was all him imagining things, or if, somehow, it was his mate, reaching out to him even in hypersleep through their psychic bond. He hoped it was the second one. _"You're the first omega ever chosen to be a Power Ranger, aren't you? And the Red Ranger at that."_

"What good did it do if I couldn't even..." _Protect you_ , he wanted to say, but he couldn't bring himself to voice the words. He knew, if their link was still active, Zhane would hear that anyway. "I'm not going to survive my heat with you like this...I'm not." His temperature had begun to climb again, despite the chill from the cryogenic chamber. "What am I supposed to do, Zhane? I...I need you here."

_“I’m right here, Andros.”_

Andros scoffed softly at the ridiculousness of it all. Here he was, going into heat, _fertile_ , and the only person that his body would accept help from was frozen. It was like some kind of sick joke the universe was playing on him. And hearing Zhane’s voice, if it wasn’t his psychic link, what did that mean for Andros? That he was slowly going mad?

It wasn’t slow at this rate, he reminded himself as his eyes strayed upward to Zhane’s heart rate monitor. It had only been two weeks and he was hearing voices. Two weeks and he’d begun talking to himself.

_“Come on, Andros. You’re not going crazy.”_

“I’m talking to a ghost, Zhane. You’re in hypersleep, I...I’m imagining you.” Andros bit back a whimper when a pulse of slick soaked through his uniform pants as his body began to ready itself for his mate, despite the situation. “Even if the psy link is still active...you aren’t conscious to talk back.” He was trying to convince himself more than the empty air of the room, trying to will his mind to stop playing cruel tricks on him.

_“Who says? You an expert on this now? I seem to remember a sweet little omega that used to invade my dreams when we slept, so I don’t think consciousness has anything to do with it.”_ He could almost hear the chuckle in Zhane’s voice. _“You act like you know everything, Andros. Just accept things, you’ll be much happier that way.”_

Andros whined softly, curling in on himself. He wasn’t sure what to believe. Thankfully, his body distracted him as slick began to leak from him at a steadily increasing pace. It was suddenly both too hot and too cold in the room, and Andros felt himself slipping into his omega instincts. He stripped off his jacket. “What am I supposed to do without you?”

_“Don’t you remember what I gave you after our first rut together? I’m surprised at you. I had it made especially for you.”_ And there it was, the teasing tone that Zhane always took when Andros asked him dumb questions. _“Don’t you dare tell me you got rid of it.”_

Andros had to wrack his brain for the answer, try to dig it out of the fog in his mind. A blush tinted his already-warm face at the memory.

* * *

 It had been a few days after his first heat with Zhane when his mate presented him with a box. He’d expected something silly, as was custom for Zhane, but what he hadn’t expected was-

“What _is_ this?” Andros remembered being shocked, and a little aroused, by what was nestled inside.

“A cast of, ah...of my…” Zhane had gestured down at his crotch, blushing a bit himself. “For if...if I’m ever off-planet when you go into heat. I thought it would be nice for you to have, just in case. It can’t really knot, but I’m sure you’ll be able to get ahold of me before your heat’s over if you need that,” he’d finished his explanation with a signature Zhane smirk and run a hand over Andros’ fingers. “Unless you want one that can knot you, too, I’m sure I can find a way to get my hands on one.”

“No! No, that’s...that’s unnecessary,” Andros was unsure if he’d ever stop blushing as he’d boxed the thing up to put it away. “Why would I need this when I have the real thing, right here?”

* * *

 It had been a long time since he’d put the box away, somewhere in the room they shared where he wouldn’t see it every day and be reminded that Zhane had gone _somewhere_ to have it made. It seemed so silly then, and now...now, Andros had to admit, his mate had been nothing if not thoughtful.

Climbing onto shaking legs, Andros set a palm on the glass that covered Zhane. “I’ll...I’ll be right back,” and with that, he made his way, as quickly as possible, to the bedroom. He nearly tore the place apart in his frenzy to find what he needed. His slick had become a constant now, his body on fire. He had to unzip his shirt and toss it aside, open up his pants, just to get a little relief.

When he found the box, Andros was at a rush to return to the cool room, to his alpha. He skidded to a stop inside the room and hurriedly tugged at his boot clasps, tossing his shirt somewhere in the direction of his jacket. “I’m back, I-I found it!” He kicked one boot halfway across the room. “I found it!” The temperature of the room soothed his hot skin just enough to keep his head on his shoulders as he completely undressed. With the door shut, the only light came from Zhane’s cryo chamber and his monitor.

_“That’s a good boy,”_ the voice in his head praised, the voice he’d accepted as Zhane. _“I wish I was awake to smell you, I bet your scent is thick as could be.”_

Andros moved to the cryogenic chamber and knelt, naked, beside it. His cock was hard, curving up towards his stomach. He hadn’t felt this needy since his first heat. Hands fumbling, he opened up the box and tossed it aside. The cast was...in a word, perfect. It even felt like flesh. Andros realized he’d never even touched it before now and ran a finger over the smooth surface.

His only wish now was that it could knot him, the way Zhane did. He swallowed hard, face reddening at the thought. He wasn’t even sure how to begin. Zhane had always taken the lead, let Andros relax and get taken care of. He’d never had to think during his heat before.

_“Just put it on the ground. It should be able to stand up just fine,”_ the way Zhane’s voice whispered into his head made it feel as though his lips were right at Andros’ ear. _“I’ll guide you, Andros. Just trust me, okay?”_

He did trust Zhane, with every fiber of his being. He always had. Positioning the cast as he was directed, Andros found himself raising up on his knees. Slick coated his inner thighs and continued to drip steadily down his skin. “Do I just…?”

_“Slide down on it, nice and slow...that’s all you have to do, baby, here we go. Let me help you through this heat, okay?”_

Andros swallowed again, but he took his time rocking his hips back into position and down onto the head of the cast. He gasped at the feeling of being breached. His body was singing, begging for more as he slid further down on the false erection. He paused only once, halfway down, to rest a hand on the side of Zhane’s cryo chamber.

The emptiness of the helmet’s gaze made Andros squeeze his eyes shut as he imagined his mate’s face. Hips swirling, he was surprised that the cast didn’t move with him. It seemed to be weighted to the floor now, but that made his fantasy more realistic. A few more inches cleared and he took a deep breath through his nose as he reached the base. He took a few moments to relax into the feeling of being full. It was better than he’d expected.

And, yet, also confusing. The cast was warm, and not just from Andros’ body. It felt as though it radiated its own heat. Andros wondered what kind of material Zhane had had it made from, how it had been produced.

He supposed he should have thought of these things before he’d started using it. No matter, now, he reminded himself as his body snapped to attention. A minute movement of his hips had the cast nudging Andros’ prostate and made him see stars. He could barely contain the little gasp that escaped him.

_“There’s a good boy, Andros. Keep going. Get yourself there for me.”_

“Zhane!” Andros lifted himself off of the toy on his knees. The drag of the firm material over his slick insides was deliciously fulfilling. It was nearly as good as having Zhane himself. “Oh, Zhane, Zhane…” His hand dragged down the glass wall of his mate’s chamber as he slid back into place on the toy. “Zhane, please!”

_“You’re so good for me, baby, that’s it. I told you to trust me, didn’t I?”_

Andros began to nod, panting breathlessly. His hips jerked of their own accord while he moved on the cast. Every slide down coated the material in more slick, making the movements smoother on every raise. The omega could barely keep himself from moving, faster, faster, until he was practically impaling himself on the toy.

All the while, Andros could practically _feel_ Zhane’s hands on him, ghosts of his former movements. He knew, for sure, that these were imagined, but at this stage in heat, he couldn’t bring himself to care. He followed the not-touches with his own fingers, trailing them over his hips and his sides, down over his thighs and back up again, chasing the feeling of Zhane’s hot palms sliding over his skin. He found himself growing louder with every thrust of the toy inside of him, nearly crying out for his mate. He wished more than once that the cast of Zhane’s erection could knot him the way his alpha did.

_“You’re beautiful like this, Andros. Unrestrained, wild. Perfect in every way.”_ Zhane’s voice in his mind had that rough tone that Andros loved so much.

His hips circled a bit, the toy seated deep inside of him. Andros could hardly contain his mewls of pleasure as he locked eyes with the frosted glass. He knew Zhane was in there, and he wondered distantly if there was a possibility that his mate would awaken before his heat ended. The thought left his mind when he managed to press the cast against his prostate once more. A long moan escaped his lips, slick leaking out around the material in his pleasure.

Andros could feel his orgasm building now, and he planted both hands against the glass of Zhane’s cryogenic chamber to help steady his body as he rocked on the toy. “Oh, Zhane!” He was shaking, thigh muscles straining. “Zhane!”

_“Come for me, Andros. Come for your alpha.”_ The feeling of Zhane nosing at his scent gland, imagined as every other touch, had Andros bringing one hand away from the cold glass to slap over the mating bite. _“That’s it, you’re almost there. I wish I was biting you, you always come when I bite you, remember? Remember how my teeth feel on you?”_

He did, of course he did. Andros whimpered at the way he could practically _feel_ Zhane’s teeth digging in, deepening the marks. That was all it took. A loud cry escaped his throat as he began to come, thick and steady, against the base of the chamber. He felt as though it lasted forever. By the time he was through, Andros was shivering at the chill of the room. His superheated skin hadn’t experienced any of the cold while he was working himself through the first wave of his heat, but now that he’d managed to get himself to completion for the first time, he was cooling off.

Andros rested his cheek against Zhane’s glass bed. He wasn’t ready to pull himself off of the toy just yet, even if his body longed for the warmth of his clothing. His instincts told him that his mate was here, and he needed him. “Zhane,” he breathed softly.

This time, there was no answer. No teasing voice in his head. Nothing at all, but the silence of the room echoing back at him.

Had he really imagined Zhane’s voice this entire time? It couldn’t be. He couldn’t have...it had to have been his mate, speaking through their psychic link...right?

“Zhane?” Andros tried again, a little louder, but the outcome was the same. A cold shock went through him. Was he really going mad, all alone on the ship? He scrambled up, the toy sliding out of his slick hole with a wet pop. It didn’t move from the spot on the floor, but he didn’t even notice as he rushed to throw on his uniform. He didn’t bother with the clasps on his boots or the zipper on his shirt. He couldn’t be going mad. Zhane _had_ been talking to him, guiding him. He wasn’t crazy.

Stumbling his way back to the bridge, Andros called for DECA to come back online. “Scan for life force on the ship,” he commanded the computer. “Brain functions. Anything at all.”

“Two life forms onboard, Andros. Yourself and Zhane. He is in hypersleep. Limited brain function.”

“Could he still speak through psy link?” Andros was desperate now. He had to know. “Is there any way he could…?”

“It is unlikely. Psychic links take great energy to maintain. It is possible, but he would have expended much energy left in his reserves to speak.”

“But it’s possible?”

“Possible, but very unlikely. I would not recommend forcing him to use energy on the link when it could be diverted to healing. I’m sorry, Andros.”

Andros leaned back against the wall and rubbed at his eyes. So, there was a chance. There was a chance that Zhane had been communicating with him. “How is...how is he holding up, DECA?”

“Stable. No noted improvement of his condition at this time. He may take long to heal.”

Andros appreciated that DECA didn’t add the ‘if at all’ to the words, the way she had when he’d sealed Zhane in the cryogenic chamber. He heaved a sigh and pushed away from the wall. “Thank you, DECA.”

“It seems you are in heat, Andros. Would you like me to produce heat suppressants from the Synthetron?”

Andros stiffened at her voice, but considered the options. Of course, DECA knew the biological function his body went through. He wondered if the suppressants would be a good idea, without his mate, but a part of him had hope that, should Zhane awaken, he’d like to be able to to smell Andros’ heat and not medication. “That won’t be necessary, DECA. Thank you.”

“They are always available through the programming, should your mind change, Andros.”

Andros paused and glanced back into the command center. “Of course. DECA, I would like silence once more. Thank you.” With that, he headed for the engine room to refuel his body for the next wave of his heat.

Maybe, Zhane would regain the energy to speak to him again this time.


End file.
